(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display.
(b) Description of the Related Art
One of the most widely used flat panel displays, a liquid crystal display (LCD) includes two display panels, each provided with field-generating electrodes such as pixel electrodes and a common electrode, and a liquid crystal (LC) layer interposed therebetween. The LCD displays images by applying voltages to the field-generating electrodes so that an electric field is generated across the LC layer. The orientation of the electric field across the LC layer determines the orientation of LC molecules therein, to adjust the polarization of light incident to the LC layer.
The two field-generating electrodes form a liquid crystal capacitor thereby maintaining a voltage after the switching element that applies voltages to the field-generating electrodes is turned off. The liquid crystal display further includes a storage capacitor that assists the liquid crystal capacitor to enhance its voltage maintaining capacity. The storage capacitor generally includes the pixel electrode as one terminal and a storage electrode that overlaps with the pixel electrode as the other terminal.
The storage electrode usually has a line shape, extends in the same direction as the gate lines, and is positioned between gate lines. The storage capacitor is applied with a predetermined voltage such as a common voltage. A number of storage electrodes in the LCD are connected to each other through a bridge. The bridge prevents a change of the voltage applied to the storage electrode such that the storage electrodes maintain equal potential.
Also, pixel defects, which may be created during the manufacturing process, can be repaired by forming the bridge for the storage electrode.
However, when the bridges for the storage electrodes of all pixels are connected to each other, the aperture ratio and the transmittance in the LCD are reduced. Also, it is difficult to repair a pixel defect when the bridges for the storage electrodes are not formed.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.